Device for sharpening razor-blades.



R. H. STRONG. DEVICE FOR SHARPENING RAZOR BLADES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29, 1910.

Patented Mar.

ROBERT E. STRONG, 0F GALESBURG, ILLINOIS.

DEVICE FOR SHARPENING RAZOR-BLADES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 2, 1915..

Application filed June 29, 1910. Serial No. 569,496.

and fitate of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Sharpening Razor-Blades, of which the following is a specification.

This invention appertains to certain new and useful improvements in devices for honing and stropping razor-blades, and a sharpening device made in accordance with my invention comprises a support or base that is constructed to carry a reversible sharpening surface, an oscillatory bar to which is secured a blade-carrier, the same being maintained in swinging engagement with the bar, so that a blade carried thereby may be drawn over the sharpening surface, means being present for reversing the blade-carrier after it has passed the ends of the sharpening surface and for pressing the blade against the same, as will be hereinafter set forth.

The accompanying drawings illustrate one preferred form of my invention, and by reference to the claims it will be noted that the scope of my invention is not limited to the particular structure shown, or to details which may be varied.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a razor-blade sharpening device made in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation, the same being projected from the plan. view, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the bladecarrier applied to a razor; Fig. 4L is a perspective view of a blade-carrier embodying a slightly modified construction; F ig.-5 is a perspective view of the blade-holder; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a blade; Fig. 7 illustrates a transverse sectional view of the blade clamp; Fig. 8 illustrates an end 7 view of the blade carrier and clamp and the spring for engaging the blade carrier, the handle being shown in section; and Fig. 9 illustrates a sectional detail showing fragments of a platform and plate connected thereto.

In the accompanying drawings, 1 refers to a base, the same having attached to its underside a knob 2, or other grasping means, by which the sharpening device is usually held by the left hand, the other hand being used to oscillate the carrier-bar which is piv- Oted to the base. The base preferably comprises a rear portion and a curved front, such base having a post 3, and radially therewith a plurality of uprights 4. that carry, so as to be parallel with the base, a curved or segmental bar 5. The ends of the segmental or arc-shaped bar 5 are upturned to provide stops. 6 for the carrier-bar, and from the underside of the segmental bar 5 at points beyond the radial ends of the base are trips 7 which project forward to'be in the path of a portion of the blade-carrier. The. forward portion of the base, comprising radial ends and a curved front edge, has attached thereto a curved or segmental platform 8 that is preferably connected to the base by bolts or screws 9, maintained in rotatable engagement with the platform 8 by having their-heads let into the upper surface thereof, the heads being partially covered by plates 10, having openings therethrough which are of less diameter than the heads of the screws. This manner of connecting the platform to the base permits the platform to be adjusted to and from the base and allows the platform to have a rocking movement upon the connecting means. The platform 8 is provided at the central portion of its inner concave edge with an upright plate 8" and near one end, on its convex side there is a similar plate 8, the opposite end having a hook 8", these apertured plates and the hook providing means for connecting to the platform a curved plate 11, that has pins 9, 9, and 9' for engagement with the plates or clips and the hook.

The plate 11 has on one side a hone-surface and on the other side a stropping-surface preferably of leather, and by detaching the hook from the pin with which it engages, either surface may be placed uppermost, as the plate may be reversed upon its platform. The plate 11 is usually maintained slightly below the plane of the bar 5, and when the parts hereinbefore mentioned are assembled there will be an open space between the outer edge of the fiat bar-'5 and the inner edge of the plate 11 which has the sharpening surfaces thereon.

The post 3 has secured to its upper end an oscillatory bar 12 which rides upon the segmental-plate 5, the same being held against upward movement by a lug 13 that lies un der the plate 5, andto the upper portion of the barso as to extend considerably beyond the front of the base there is secured a cylin- V drica1-rod. 11, theyouter end providinga grasping portion'by' means of which the car;

rier bar is oscillated. Theblade-carrier 1%1 is constructed to be placed upon the" cylindrical-rod 14, and when thereon, is engagedby a spring 15, that overlies the bar 12 and; theblade-carrier being held in place by the screw l'd'that engages the upper end of the post and holds thereon the spring 15- and the bar 12. The end of the spring that is farthest from the post 3- is bent downward, the end being. cut-away to provide arecess and theside walls thereof overlying the tubular. portion of the blade-carrier, so that one of the dependingend-portions will bear upon:the blade-carrier, the other end portion overlying a projection or entering a recess therein. The pressure of the spring 15 upon theblade-carrier-may be varied by a slide 17 that is placed over thebar 12 and the spring, and as. the slide ismoved forward the pressure. upon the blade-carrier will be increased. The slideor loop17- is of such dimensions that by moving the same adjacent to the post 3, the spring may be moved out of line with the bar 12 placing the recessed end, or the prongs which form the sides. of the recess outof engagement with the blade-carrier.

The carrier 14: is. made to provide a tubular. portion 18 for the passage therethrough of the round end portion of the bar 14,-andsaid part has. resilient jaws 19' between which the blade or a blade-holder 20 is clamped, a lug or projection 21, on the modifiedi'carrier 14 is overlaid by one of the ends of the. spring 15 when the opposite end bearsagainst; the side ofthe blade-carrier, and the blade-carrier at one end has an arm 22,

a the outer end of saidarm beinglocated so as to lie above the space between the curved bar 5.and theplate 11 to engage and ride 7 upon the trips 7 at the end of each stroke;

tohold the blade-carrier raised until the blade has passed the end of the hone or stroppwhen the spring acting upon the carrier, will cause the same to be reversed or turned. 7

The blade-holder 20 comprises: side plates 23.- andv 2 1 which areconnected one to the otherinsucha manner that the tendency of the connection will be to hold the sidesapart sopthat a.razor blade may be placed between the plates. The side plates23 and 2% have on their inner faces, projections 26 which enter a central aperture in the razor-blade or impinge against. the sidesiofthe bladewhen the same is not provided with more thantwo apertures, and one ofth'eside pieces23of the; blade-holder. 20 has. therethrouglr open= ings27 andthe. opposite side piece 24' has pivoted thereto arms 28. that have projecting portions 29.-that pass through the aperturesin the razor-blade and into the; openings 27,

;the.-arms; 28: being pivoted to admit of the same being moved to locate the projections 29 so that they will enter the openings or tral aperture through the blade or impingeagainst thesides of. the blade, the arms having previously been adjusted so that the pro jections 29 will pass through the openings in: the blade and blade-holder. The bladeholder' is then passed between the clips or j aws-of the-carrier whichis placed upon the rod, thespring 15, being-first raised to allow the-lug 21 to pass the downwardly bent and bifurcated end of the spring. Movement imparted by hand to: the end of the bar will draw-the blade over the honing or stropping surfaceandwhen the arm on the blade-carrier has passed one of the trips 7, it will assume a. vertical position, and as the direction of movementis changed the position of the-blade-carrier will be reversed for the next stroke over the sharpening surface.

It will be noted that the trips are located so that the blade-carrier will be lifted fromthe sharpening surface and is maintained above the same until the blade is well beyond. the end thereof, the-trips being located considerably beyond the ends of the sharpening surfaces, or the arm may be of sucha length as to produce the same result.

In a device of the character set forth the segmental guide is fixedly attached to the base and the platform or support for the sharpening surface may be raised or lowered to vary the angle at which the edge of the bladewill contact with the sharpening surface.

The general make-up of the device may be varied as to details of construction, for in practice blade-holders will be supplied for different styles of razor blades, such holders being constructedto be placed inthe bladecarrier, therefore the scope of my invention is to be determined by the claims rather than by the construction set forth in the specification.

I claim 1. In a device for sharpening razor blades, a base,a guide-bar attached to the base, stops carried by the guide-bar, an arm pivoted to the base and'engaging the guide-bar to have its movement restricted by the guide-bar and the stops, a razor-blade-carrier associated with the arm to swing thereon, a sharpening element associated with the base, andineansfor engagement with the razorblade-carrier to maintain the same in raised position until carried beyond the ends of the sharpening element.

2. In adevice for sharpening razor blades, a base, an armpivotedto the base, a seg- 'mental guide, means for associating the arm with the guide, stops which project above the plane of the guide to limit the oscillatory movement of the arm, pins maintained by the segmental guide to project beyond the same which pins are positioned nearer one to the other than the distance between the stops, a sharpening element associated with the base and a razor-blade-carrier mounted upon the arm to swing thereon and to engage with the pins to lift the razor blade-carrier until it is positioned beyond the ends of the sharpening element.

3. In a device for sharpening blades, a base, a segmental guide attached to the base, a sharpening element associated with the base, an arm pivoted to the base for oscillation over and beyond the ends of the sharpening element, a blade-carrier associated with the arm to swing thereon, means for holding the blade-carrier against longitudinal movement on the arm such means also pressing the blade-carrier toward the sharpening element and razor-blade carrying lifting means attached to the segmental guide for engagement with a part of the razor-blade-carrier.

4. In a device for sharpening razor blades, a base, a guide fixedly attached to the base, an arm pivoted to the base and maintained to engage with the guide, stops for the arm at the ends of the guide, projections maintained by the guide and extending beyond the outer edge of the same, a sharpening element provided with an inner edge that is parallel with the guide and with the ends which terminate radially with relation to the pivotal point of the arm, a blade-carrier mounted upon the arm and provided with a part for alternate engagement with the projections, and resilient means attached to the arm for engagement with the blade carrier to retain the blade-carrier upon the arm and to press the same toward the sharpening element.

5. In a device for sharpening razor blades, the combination with a base, of a curved guide-bar, trips associated with and attached to the guide bars to be maintained below the plane of said guide-bar, a sharpening ele ment having an edge that parallels the guide-bar, an oscillatory bar that is movable over the guide-bar and the sharpening element, a blade-carrier mounted to swing upon the oscillatory bar and means on the blade-carrier for engagement with the trips.

6. The combination in a device for sharpening razor-blades, of a base, a sharpening element mounted thereon, a guide-bar having end stops, trips which are attached to and extend beyond the guide-bar, an oscillatory member pivoted to the base and maintained in sliding engagement with the guidebar, a blade-carrier that swings upon the oscillatory member, an arm constituting a part of the blade-carrier and means for holding the blade-carrier against longitudinal movement upon the oscillatory member and for pressing thev blade-carrier toward the sharpening element.

7 In a device for sharpening razor blades, a base, an arm pivoted to the base, a guide for the arm, projections which are attached to and extend beyond the guide and are located to be engaged by a razor-blade-car rier, a spring having a bifurcated end said spring being movable with the arm, slidable means on the arm and spring for varying the pressure of the springtoward the arm, a sharpening element maintained by the base below the plane of the guide and the arm, a carrier for a razor blade which is adapted to be mounted upon the arm and to be engaged by the spring to hold the carrier against longitudinal movement on the arm and to press the carrier toward the sharpening element and means on the carrier for engagement with the projections.

8. In a device for sharpening razor blades, a base, a support for a sharpening element, means for adjustably associating the support with the base, a sharpening element detachably associated with the support, an

arm pivoted to the base and of a length to locate its'outer end beyond the sharpening element, a razor-blade-carrier mounted on the arm and a spring for pressing the carrier toward the sharpening element.

9. In a device for sharpening razor blades, a base, a flat arc-shaped sharpening element maintained in adjustable and reversible relation with the base, a guide attached to the base, an arm pivoted to the base said arm being ofa length to extend beyond the sharpening element, means for movably connecting the arm with the guide, a blade-carrier mounted to swing upon the arm,means movable with the bar to press against the blade-carrier to move the same toward and then at right angles with sharpening element.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

' ROBERT H. STRONG. Witnesses:

LYMAN P. WILSON, LAKE WV. SANBORN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

' Washington, D. c." 

